- New international, China-based brand blends functional style and unique design language
- First production representative model reflects shapes and elements of modern German automobile design
- Top product quality products developed for Europe and China
- World premiere at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show
Just a few months prior to unveiling its first saloon car developed for China and Europe, new automotive company, Qoros Auto Co. Ltd, shares insights into the design of its future generation of cars. Qoros Auto Co. Ltd, a new independent car-maker headquartered in China, will make its public debut at next year’s Geneva Motor Show by unveiling the first in a series of new products aimed at discerning young buyers in China and Europe.
Gert Volker Hildebrand leads the design team in developing the brand’s unique and highly expressive style. The first production representative model, a compact saloon, will be unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show alongside two concept cars that give a glimpse into the future of a strong family of Qoros models.
Vehicles from the Qoros brand will be developed by an international team of experienced specialists and new, young talent. European automotive industry expertise underpins their creativity and they symbolise the dynamic growth of the modern Chinese metropolis represented by Shanghai. Under the direction of Gert Volker Hildebrand, Executive Director of Design, Qoros designers have developed an individual style characterised by the fresh appearance of this family of new vehicles.
Hildebrand runs the Qoros design studios in Munich and Shanghai with unparalleled creative freedom. “Designing cars is one of the very best jobs in the world. But very few designers have the chance to design the badge first, and then go on to reflect a completely new vision and dream by designing a brand’s first family of cars. This is an exceptional opportunity, and I don’t believe there is anything more exciting for a designer,” says Hildebrand about his work at Qoros.
“We are not subject to the constraints of further developing a fully-fledged style, but rather are in the early stages of moulding our own tradition. It will just follow the new brand philosophy which is also in its infancy.”
The three Qoros vehicles will be distinguished by “desirable elegance” according to Gert Volker Hildebrand. Their unique brand identity and exceptional product quality will be immediately recognisable. Long wheelbases and short bodywork overhangs will form the perfect proportions of these Qoros models. Subtle styling details emphasise the overall featured themes, and will always be functional and remain unobtrusive.
Highly individual: proportions and lines of the Qoros design
The well-balanced proportions of the first Qoros saloon create an elegant look. Graphical elements highlight its horizontal lines. The light-catching contour from the front headlights to the tail lights makes for a longer profile. The rear door section runs deeply into the C-pillar to provide comfortable entry to the rear seats. The comparatively high front section ensures a highly visible presence and the dynamic contours of the bonnet show that stringent demands have been made in terms of crash safety and the protection of pedestrians.
The body’s horizontal lines emphasize both the length and width of the first production Qoros. Its relatively high waistline and sloping roof line characterise its dynamic look and underline its solid premium build quality. The headlights and radiator grille are at the same level. The light clusters at the front and rear stretch along the quarter panels. Its sporty lines are also evident here with its wheel arches boldly projecting over the wheels – up to 19-inches in diameter – and the comparatively wide wheel tread.
Unmistakable: typical features of the Qoros brand design
The Qoros car brand is unmistakable. All vehicles will feature a consistent frontal ‘brand look’. Their proportions and premium materials are distinctive and exude high quality. A vertically slotted radiator grille contrasts beautifully with the front end’s fundamentally horizontal theme. It forms an isosceles trapezoid accentuated by a chrome upper edge. A second chrome bar in the lower air duct continues the theme.
The Qoros brand logo is centrally and confidently positioned between the radiator grille and the upper contours. The logo itself was also developed under the leadership of Gert Volker Hildebrand and bears a horizontally elongated, three-dimensional letter Q, which gives the impression of quality. The brand name Qoros is shown in upper case and together with the logo makes up a graphic. “Our brand logo is a symbol of solidity and confidence,” Hildebrand explains.
Even when designing the daytime running lights, Qoros forged its own solution. Broad illuminated LED strips at the top edge of the headlight clusters ensure optimum visibility, which is beneficial to road safety and are a distinctive feature of Qoros models. Similarly, the LED rear lamps feature horizontal illuminated bars.
The alloy wheels boast an exclusive design that contributes to the unmistakable, distinctive appearance of Qoros models. The triple spoke design features the brand logo in the wheel centre.
The elongated front section is reflected in the horizontally themed dashboard that will feature in all Qoros model interiors. Even here, the layout provides generous proportions and is technically designed to generate a sense of generous space for passengers. The infotainment system – designed by Qoros in-house with a unique integrated touch-screen – not only ensures close communication between driver and vehicle, but, in particular, also between the passengers and the outside world. The extensive features can be intuitively controlled using the centrally located eight-inch colour screen. Devoid of switches, it is controlled by finger movements in an identical way to the latest smartphones. The Qoros design team also created the graphical elements of the multimedia user interfaces, in addition to the display itself.
Independent, dynamic, success-oriented: the Qoros company
Qoros was founded in 2007 as a joint venture between Chery Automobile, China’s largest independent car manufacturer, and Israel Corporation, a global industrial holding company. It is headed by Chairman and President Guo Qian, and Deputy Chairman Volker Steinwascher, supported by globally-renowned suppliers such as Magna Steyr, TRW, Continental, Bosch, Microsoft and Iconmobile, Qoros develops vehicles with an individual identity and a high level of quality.
The headquarters of the company are located in Changshu, a region of high importance for China’s rapidly growing automobile industry. A new state-of-the-art, highly efficient and environmentally-sustainable production facility is currently under construction in Changshu. It will have an initial production capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year, and a maximum capacity of 450,000 units per annum.
In the growing Chinese automobile market, Qoros has an exceptional position, with a market presence and product positioning clearly distinguishable from domestic car manufacturers and international joint ventures. The first series production Qoros model – an elegant C-segment saloon – will be shown for the first time in March 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show and again in April 2013 at the Shanghai Motor Show. Thanks to an extensive focus on vehicle safety, it is expected that this first model in the Qoros line-up will be the first car manufactured in China to be awarded the maximum five-star ranking in the Euro NCAP crash test. Sales are planned to start in China at the end of 2013, with the first cars arriving in Europe shortly thereafter. Further models will be launched at approximately six month intervals after that as the Qoros range develops into a full family.
Details about the first Qoros model will be published just before the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
